🔁 Recurring Payments (Scheduled Payments)
Set up automatic payments for future or ongoing balances
Overview
The Recurring Payment screen allows you to schedule one-time or ongoing payments for a patient using a card on file.
This is commonly used for:
- Payment plans
- Memberships
- Collecting balances over time
Before You Begin
- A card must already be saved on the patient’s account
- If you are using an integrated system, patient details may automatically populate
When to Use Recurring Payments
Use this feature when:
- A patient wants to split a balance into multiple payments
- You need to schedule a future charge
- You are setting up ongoing monthly or yearly billing
Steps — Set Up a Recurring Payment
Step 1: Select the Patient
- Choose the patient from the dropdown, or select Create New if they do not exist
- The Chart Number will populate automatically
No card on file?
If the selected patient does not have a saved card, a prompt will appear asking you to enter and save a card before continuing.
Step 2: Select a Card on File
- Choose the saved credit card to be used for the schedule
- If no card is available, you will be prompted to add one
Step 3: Enter Charge Details
- Description: Free-form text (e.g., Payment Plan, Whitening Package, etc.)
- Amount: Enter the amount per charge, not the total balance
Example:
If a patient owes $400 and you want 4 monthly payments of $100, enter:
- Amount: $100
- Frequency: Monthly
- Occurrences: 4
Step 4: Set the Schedule
Choose how often the payment should run:
- Once → One-time future payment
- Monthly → Repeats monthly
- Yearly → Repeats yearly
Additional options:
- Date of First Charge → When the first payment will run
- Occurrences
- Leave blank = runs indefinitely until canceled
- Enter a number = runs until that many successful payments are collected
Step 5: Add a Memo (Optional)
- Add internal notes (up to 100 characters)
- Example: Payment Plan for $400 Balance
Step 6: Save the Schedule
- Click Save and Start
Important: Surcharge Behavior
Recurring Payments do not display surcharge amounts during setup.
- You are creating a schedule, not running a payment
- The system does not know if the card is credit or debit card until the transaction is processed
- Because of this, no surcharge is calculated or shown on this screen
What this means:
- A surcharge (if applicable) is determined at the time each payment runs
Patients will see this notice on the Authorization Form:
“A surcharge fee will only be assessed on credit card transactions processed through this service.”
What Happens Next
After saving:
- A confirmation window will appear showing the full schedule
- Review all details carefully for accuracy
Authorization Form (Recommended)
From the confirmation screen, you can click Print Auth Form.
This form:
- Shows the payment schedule details
- Includes a signature line for the patient
- Serves as documentation for your records
If surcharging is enabled, the form will include:
“A surcharge fee will only be assessed on credit card transactions processed through this service.”
Important:
- The auth form is for your records only
- It does not impact the payment schedule
How the Recurring Payments Process
- Payments run automatically based on your schedule
- The system continues until the required number of successful payments is reached
Example:
- $100/month for 4 occurrences
- Payments succeed in months 1, 2, 3
- Month 4 fails
- System retries in month 5
- If month 5 succeeds → schedule completes
Viewing & Managing Recurring Payments
After saving:
- You will be taken to the patient’s Recurring tab
Here you can:
- View all active schedules
- See payment history
- Open a schedule for details
Canceling a Recurring Schedule
- You cannot edit a recurring schedule once it is created
To make changes:
- Cancel the existing schedule
- Create a new one with updated details
This ensures accuracy and prevents unintended billing issues.
Reporting & Reconciliation
- Recurring payments appear in the Payment Report on the day they are processed
To get payments into your Practice Management System:
- Enter manually, or
- Use the Post button (if your integration supports it)
More details on the posting will be covered in a separate article.
Viewing All Recurring Payments
To see all recurring schedules across your office:
- Go to the Reports section
- Open the Recurring Payments list
✅ Best Practices
- Always double-check the amount and frequency
- Use the Auth Form for patient agreement
- Clearly explain:
- Payment amount
- Frequency
- Duration
- Potential surcharge on credit card transactions (if applicable)
- Cancel and recreate schedules instead of modifying
Need help understanding totals or deposits? See link.
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